Flu vaccine barely worked in people 65 and older

This season's flu vaccine was almost completely ineffective in people 65 and older, which could explain why rates of hospitalization and death have been some of the highest ever recorded for that age group, according to early estimates released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For people under 65, getting vaccinated this season reduced the need to go to the doctor for the flu by one-half to two-thirds.

For those 65 and older, though, it helped in just 9% of cases, a number too low to be statistically significant, according to a report in the CDC's Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report released Thursday. The study was based on a survey of 2,697 children and adults by the U.S. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network from Dec. 3, 2012, through Jan. 19, 2013.

While this year's flu season has been moderately severe for the general population, "in people over 65 we're seeing a pretty severe year," said Joe Bresee, chief of the epidemiology and prevention branch in the CDC's influenza division.

11. But if you wait too long they run out

10. Immune responses fade over time.

The flu shot just gives your immune system a picture of what it should be attacking. If the immune system is feeble, it doesn't matter if it has the antibodies to detect and attack the flu, because it'll be overwhelmed anyway.

4. I'm 68, had the shot early this year, have not had the flu, knock wood.

In my early 60's I had it quite severely for three years running. Decided I should start getting the shot, even though I thought it was kind of wimpish. I've been very happy to skip that week of feeling miserable and another week to get back to full energy. I'm pretty skeptical about most medicines, but I think this has been effective for me.

7. Great news 3 weeks out from my wife's 91 year old mom's death

8. A layman's take - Vaccines sometimes may not evoke a strong immune response in some older folks,

among others. Or don't evoke a long term response, i.e. effectiveness diminishes more quickly than in others who get vaccinated. The suggestion above of a spaced two vaccine regimen might be worth a look.

13. Flu vaccine

I got mine when I was in the hospital for surgery, otherwise I would probably not have bothered. A friend got the "high dose" that was supposedly specifically for over-65s, and she was sick with the side effects for 3 days. Next year I just may not bother.

25. About the high dose: you suppose right.

The high dose IS intended for those of us who are over 65. It's four times the standard dose. That's to compensate for our feeble immune systems.

Pharmacies around here are very aggressive about selling the standard flu shot, but they only give out the high dose if one of us geezers asks for it. I asked for the high dose and got it this year for the first time. (I have lost my high-dose virginity.)

Flu shots bother some people more than others. They have never bothered me at all. My deltoid muscle didn't get sore where they gave me the shot, and I didn't get any other symptoms from the shot. Nor have I had the flu in all the years since I started getting flu shots.

I'll go out on a limb and suggest that next year your friend should get two standard shots a month apart, rather than the high dose. That way the side effects should be less severe.

Edited to change "double" to "four times" the standard dose and to provide the following link, which describes research showing that the high dose is probably a good idea for seniors:

19. Flu makes you whole body ache

The sneezing and coughing may not be worse than a bad cold, but flu normally gives you a higher temperature, worse headaches, dizzyness, and makes your whole body feel as if all strength has gone, will never come back, and it's just going to hurt until you die.

I've probably had flu just once, in 45 years (in a known flu epidemic in the country). As nasty as some colds have been, it was definitely worse.

20. If you cough for a couple weeks after, it was the flu most likely. Lingering bronchial cough is more

along the line of influenza. If you had tender skin, body aches, serious fever, most likely was the flu. Common cold symptoms are more along the line of nose running massively or being stuffed up, ears being stuffed up.

29. Got the flu in Jan, after being vaccinated. Three weeks. nt

31. There was a report about 6 weeks ago that they guessed wrong on the flu strains

that were vaccinated against. Ergo - even those who got the flu shots got the flu. It's a crap shoot on guessing which strains to vaccinate against in a given year. You pays your money, you takes your chances.

40. They are different

The stomach flu is one of many different viruses if you were violently sick this year you may have had the Sydney strain of Norwalk virus. It cut through my family like a combine through wheat late in January.

Everybody is prone to Norwalk it's incredibly transmissible and pathogenic with as few as 40 or 50 virions so if you're exposed to it chances are you're going to get it.